Written by Roger Dickinson, CivicWell Policy Director and co-author of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and Julie Rentner, River Partners Executive Director
This year was the epitome of climate-driven weather whiplash experts stress is the new norm for California.
In a matter of weeks, the worst drought in California’s history gave way to record-setting rain and snow. By July, a vast majority of the Golden State was drought-free. More than 30 atmospheric rivers caused billions of dollars in damage, refilled 175 square miles of the ancient Tulare Lake, and cost 22 people their lives. Climate experts warn that future floods could be up to five times more severe than the historic 1997 flood that submerged nearly 300 square miles across the state. The worst-case scenario could cost up to $1 trillion in damages.
This winter, however, also showed how restoring floodplains can both reduce flood risk for communities and increase critical water supplies for the dry years we know are around the corner.
California’s largest floodplain restoration project, the Dos Rios Ranch Preserve, sits at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers near Modesto—a region that’s ground zero for future megafloods. The project by the nonprofit River Partners involved planting over 350,000 trees and vegetation across 2,100 acres, generated hundreds of good-paying local jobs for underserved communities, and now protects 10 imperiled species.
The ranch plays a critical role in protecting nearby communities from catastrophic floods because River Partners removed decades-old farming berms to let floodwater spread out on the landscape and sink in. This process diverts floodwaters away from neighborhoods while simultaneously replenishing natural aquifers.
Restoring the ranch took 10 years and roughly $45 million cobbled together from nearly a dozen different public funding sources to complete. Thanks to recent legislation, transformative projects like Dos Rios Ranch will be easier to bring to life.
SB 122, signed by Gov. Newsom in July, adds “aquifers” to the definition of “natural infrastructure.” River Partners, civic-leadership nonprofit CivicWell, and Planning and Conservation League advocated for this change because California’s climate challenges require innovative approaches that address multiple benefits for long-term water sustainability and community resilience.
For years, leaders from local government, water districts, and environmental organizations have advanced creative, win-win solutions to the state’s climate and water challenges. They’ve pushed for multi-benefit projects that address flood safety, aquifer recharge, ecosystem restoration, and drinking water access, but there were no public grants targeting all goals simultaneously.
Applying for multiple grants to fund a single project meant submitting multiple proposals with different requirements and deadlines. That process was often too time- and labor-intensive for capacity-constrained local jurisdictions, especially the rural and marginalized communities most impacted by drought and flood risk.
Now, with aquifers recognized as natural infrastructure, multi-benefit restoration projects like Dos Rios Ranch will be eligible for a host of grants that previously would have required separate funding applications. This includes over $1 billion in existing public funds under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and Proposition 1.
Floodplain restoration, a cornerstone strategy of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan which calls for over $30 billion in public investment in flood safety over the next decade, may also be eligible for several billion dollars in future funding through an expansive climate resilience bond state legislators are targeting for the 2024 ballot. This legislation potentially includes hundreds of millions of dollars for multi-benefit projects, with preference given to those involving natural infrastructure.
Resources exist to support small and under-resourced communities in accessing funds. CivicWell’s Funding Navigation for California Communities platform helps local governments and community leaders identify promising funding opportunities and offers expert application assistance at no cost.
This winter’s dramatic swings between drought and deluge are the new normal, so it’s imperative local leaders take action to protect their communities. With leading models like Dos Rios Ranch and more ways to fund floodplain restoration, it’s time to get to work. California needs dozens more projects like Dos Rios.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Small Legal Change Has Big Implications for California’s Climate Preparedness
Written by Roger Dickinson, CivicWell Policy Director and co-author of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and Julie Rentner, River Partners Executive Director
This year was the epitome of climate-driven weather whiplash experts stress is the new norm for California.
In a matter of weeks, the worst drought in California’s history gave way to record-setting rain and snow. By July, a vast majority of the Golden State was drought-free. More than 30 atmospheric rivers caused billions of dollars in damage, refilled 175 square miles of the ancient Tulare Lake, and cost 22 people their lives. Climate experts warn that future floods could be up to five times more severe than the historic 1997 flood that submerged nearly 300 square miles across the state. The worst-case scenario could cost up to $1 trillion in damages.
This winter, however, also showed how restoring floodplains can both reduce flood risk for communities and increase critical water supplies for the dry years we know are around the corner.
California’s largest floodplain restoration project, the Dos Rios Ranch Preserve, sits at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers near Modesto—a region that’s ground zero for future megafloods. The project by the nonprofit River Partners involved planting over 350,000 trees and vegetation across 2,100 acres, generated hundreds of good-paying local jobs for underserved communities, and now protects 10 imperiled species.
The ranch plays a critical role in protecting nearby communities from catastrophic floods because River Partners removed decades-old farming berms to let floodwater spread out on the landscape and sink in. This process diverts floodwaters away from neighborhoods while simultaneously replenishing natural aquifers.
Restoring the ranch took 10 years and roughly $45 million cobbled together from nearly a dozen different public funding sources to complete. Thanks to recent legislation, transformative projects like Dos Rios Ranch will be easier to bring to life.
SB 122, signed by Gov. Newsom in July, adds “aquifers” to the definition of “natural infrastructure.” River Partners, civic-leadership nonprofit CivicWell, and Planning and Conservation League advocated for this change because California’s climate challenges require innovative approaches that address multiple benefits for long-term water sustainability and community resilience.
For years, leaders from local government, water districts, and environmental organizations have advanced creative, win-win solutions to the state’s climate and water challenges. They’ve pushed for multi-benefit projects that address flood safety, aquifer recharge, ecosystem restoration, and drinking water access, but there were no public grants targeting all goals simultaneously.
Applying for multiple grants to fund a single project meant submitting multiple proposals with different requirements and deadlines. That process was often too time- and labor-intensive for capacity-constrained local jurisdictions, especially the rural and marginalized communities most impacted by drought and flood risk.
Now, with aquifers recognized as natural infrastructure, multi-benefit restoration projects like Dos Rios Ranch will be eligible for a host of grants that previously would have required separate funding applications. This includes over $1 billion in existing public funds under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and Proposition 1.
Floodplain restoration, a cornerstone strategy of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan which calls for over $30 billion in public investment in flood safety over the next decade, may also be eligible for several billion dollars in future funding through an expansive climate resilience bond state legislators are targeting for the 2024 ballot. This legislation potentially includes hundreds of millions of dollars for multi-benefit projects, with preference given to those involving natural infrastructure.
Resources exist to support small and under-resourced communities in accessing funds. CivicWell’s Funding Navigation for California Communities platform helps local governments and community leaders identify promising funding opportunities and offers expert application assistance at no cost.
This winter’s dramatic swings between drought and deluge are the new normal, so it’s imperative local leaders take action to protect their communities. With leading models like Dos Rios Ranch and more ways to fund floodplain restoration, it’s time to get to work. California needs dozens more projects like Dos Rios.